Gospel Centered Ministry and the Missionary Woman

It happens to all of us probably more often than we’d like to admit: we lose sight of the main thing—the gospel—while exhausting ourselves with peripheral activities.  How can missionary women keep the gospel central to our lives and ministries, especially if others have alternative ideas?

We know that the definition of the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Good News is that Jesus died for the sins of people—personally—and that putting one’s faith in His propitiation will save a person. Because of the resurrection, there’s the promise of eternal life with Jesus. It doesn’t get better than that!

There are so many tugs on us! Can you do this? Can you help me with this? You’re an expert; add this to your duties. Can you serve on this committee, begin a Bible club in a new area, organize this function? And, unfortunately, most of us feel that adding to our ministry is always good, so we take this on and that on, and we begin to overwhelm our lives with good things—which become bad things. It’s so easy to say yes and later stumble under the burden.

How can we change our ministry perspective? How can we be more discerning when a thousand ministry-related things are tugging at us?

Let me offer some ideas that might help:

1. Take about a half hour to analyze what you’re presently doing. (If you don’t have a free half hour, you know you have a problem! Take a half hour off, anyhow.) Write out a list of your regular activities. You can include them all: cooking, cleaning, meetings, personal  and car care, ministry activities, work commutes, teaching, etc. Mention any deadlines you might routinely have (financial reports, blog posts, book writing, business deadlines, etc.). Assess what’s going on in your life right now.

2. Review your ministry description. I like to use the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), but you can use a sentence or quote you’ve written out or another verse. What is your purpose in your ministry? Make sure this is very clear in your mind.

3. Now, decide:

• Which of the activities or deadlines that you wrote down overwhelm you (if any)?
• Which of your normal activities do nothing to further the spread of the gospel?
• Do you need to revise any activity’s focus, so that it’s more effective in actually furthering the gospel?
• Do your normal activities speak Truth into other lives? (Yes, your husband and children count!) Analyze if you have regular contact with unsaved people and how your contact might open up opportunities to share the gospel with them. 
• Are you so activity/service oriented you’ve lost a gospel focus? (It’s easy to do!)
• Do you have room to add anything? If so, what kinds of ministries and activities do you think you could add?
• Do you need to cut back? (I’ve done this, and I need to do it again.) If so, where are your priorities? Which activities are more important?
• Ask for help. Ask your husband or team leader’s opinion. You’ll doubtless be surprised at the answers they give you. Be humble enough to seriously listen and consider what they say.

Many years ago, people would ask a dear missionary friend about what his wife did on the field. His answer? “She’s my wife.” This lady homeschooled their kids, made all kinds of connections with neighbors, and was constantly sharing the gospel. But, her main ministry was being there for her husband, cooking, cleaning, mothering, and being a wife. That is a valuable calling.

If you’re not married, I believe it’s harder in some ways, because everyone wants a piece of you. You are “free,” which often means you don’t even have time to breathe.

Whatever kind of ministry you’re a part of, make sure your own life is gospel propelled and gospel centered. If you need to say no, do so. If you need to be more evangelistic, do so. If you can add or subtract, make wise decisions. Ask the Lord to guide your thinking and your steps. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all (missionary women) liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given (James 1:5, my application).

Consider these Bible passages:

• The steps of a (missionary woman) are ordered by the LORD: and He delighteth in (her) way (Psalm 37:23, applied).
• NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105).
• Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18).

The next time someone asks you to add something to your plate, pause to pray for wisdom, analyze the request in the light of the gospel, and then make a wise decision.

God bless you!

by Lou Ann Keiser, in Basque Spain since 1984